Saturday, January 29, 2000
Rams must stop 'The Freak'
Kearse-Miller matchup key for Titans 'O'
BY PAUL DAUGHERTY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
ATLANTA — When you get down to it, the NFL is a freak show. And we say that nicely, so as to give all the 19-inch biceps the respect they deserve. People with necks the size of 16-pound bowling balls are to be admired.
So it was only a little amusing when a writer I know came up to me at a media session this week and said, “Go find Jevon Kearse. Look at his hands.”
Kearse is the rookie defensive lineman for the Tennessee Titans. Among other achievements this year, he had 141/2 sacks, attracted double and triple teams and single-handedly savaged the delicate timing of the St. Louis Rams' passing offense in October. Kearse wasn't completely responsible for his team's 24-21 win that day. It just seemed he was.
Plus, he has hands the size of pork roasts.
I studied him like a specimen in biology class.
With his hand, Kearse can grasp a 12-inch ruler between his thumb and pinkie. I wanted to ask him if he'd shake mine, but I was afraid I'd never get it back. So I waited for someone else to ask. It didn't take long.
The guy's mitt disappeared like a finger into the Pillsbury Doughboy.
Somebody asked Kearse to spread his arms. “Can we see your wingspan, Jevon?”
Jevon complied. He looked like a prehistoric bird of prey. If this is the evolution of the species, our grandchildren will fly.
Kearse runs 40 yards in 4.4 seconds: Halfback speed. He bench-presses mobile homes. His nickname is The Freak. No kidding.
If you're looking for one key to the Super Bowl, he is it. How Kearse does against St. Louis right tackle Fred Miller will have a lot to do with how well the Rams move the ball.
This week, the Rams must move the ball. They didn't last week, but it wasn't a fatal flaw; they played Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers couldn't score a touchdown on Sunday if you gave them until Wednesday. Tennessee can.
The good news for Titans fans is Kearse turned Miller into Jell-O in that October game. Kearse had a sack, five tackles and a forced fumble. He caused Miller to false-start six times and hold twice. That disrupted Rams' QB Kurt Warner's timing with his wide receivers. And as St. Louis offensive coordinator Mike Martz admitted this week, “Timing is everything to our offense.”
Miller said there won't be a repeat: “I'll stay onside.”
Said Kearse: “He might be jumping (offside) in his sleep. His eyes were so big just watching me. After awhile, I just started looking at him and laughing.”
“He can think what he wants,” snorted Miller. “The only thing you can do is line up Sunday and hit him in the mouth.”
If Miller can hold up, the Rams could be pretty to watch. Their offense comes at you in waves.
They are perfectly crafted for the indoor, plastic-turfed TransWorld Dome. If their receivers weren't playing football, they might win the silver medal in the Olympic 400-meter relay.
When I asked wideout Isaac Bruce to pick a 400 team from his mates, it took him about three seconds.
“Az (Zahir-Hakim) would run the anchor,” he said. “I'd be on the curve. Then Torry (Holt) and Marshall (Faulk).” Faulk, arguably the most dangerous Rams receiver, is a halfback.
“They have so much speed, guys running one-on-one in the open,” Boomer Esiason said recently.
“Speed creates so many lanes and seams. (Kurt) Warner is able to read the defenses easier, because they're so spread out.”
It can sometimes resemble the Arena-ball Warner played before he started creating his fairy tale. “When I got here, things weren't moving so fast I couldn't figure them out,” Warner said. “That's partly because of the Arena League experience.”
But we saw last week what can happen when the timing is disturbed.
That's where Kearse comes in. Swooping, with hands the size of extra-large pizzas.
Paul Daugherty welcomes your comments at 768-8454. Fair Game, a collection of his columns, is available at local bookstores.
Sports Stories
Griffey talks back on
Temperature's rising with Reds fever
Redsfest schedule
Reese uses head to keep Reds in 'golden' hands
Reds give Wohlers another chance
Rose finally gets foot in baseball's door
Rose swings, misses with book pitch
UC's Johnson reaching potential
Satterfield to start again
